Why you shouldn’t link from Facebook to Twitter (or vice versa)

Brad at CD Baby

“But,” you’re already saying, “those are my two main outlets for connecting with fans! It seems like they should go together.” I’m totally with you. But they don’t go. Or more accurately, they don’t always work well with each other.

I’ll explain why, and when I do, I have a feeling you’ll realize you already know exactly what I’m talking about. Because I bet you’ve been burned by this move before. (I’m using Twitter and Facebook as examples here, but this same problem can arise when using any number of platforms.)

Here’s how this often goes: You post a link to Facebook on Twitter, double-check it, and the link works fine from the desktop computer you’re sitting in front of, on a browser that’s currently logged into both sites. But what happens to me, your follower, if I’m using my Twitter app on my iPhone and I click that Facebook link you posted?

Well, my Twitter app will load the Facebook mobile app and Facebook will ask me to login. Even if I’m logged into Facebook in my mobile browser, and even if I have the Facebook app on my phone, I will still be asked to login because I’m currently in the Twitter app. Once I’ve logged into Facebook, I’ll be using the Facebook mobile site inside the Twitter app. Talk about inconvenient (and weird). I’ll be missing most of the Facebook app features I’m used to, and if I accidentally hit the back button, I’m back in Twitter land.

The same thing happens if I’m using the Facebook app on my phone and I click a Twitter link. It’s frustrating, and 90% of the time I am not motivated enough to get past the login page.

And this is just one scenario. Privacy settings on Facebook often make viewing the content you’ve shared impossible for some users. How frustrating is it to be forced to login to view nothing? The bottom line is, don’t link between social networks. Publish content in all-access areas like your own website and link to that. Your fans will appreciate it.

Do you have experiences or frustrations with this, or a similar problem? Let us know how you handle it in the comments!